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Voices of Native Youth Report
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Voices of Native Youth Report: 2012
Volume 2
Center for Native American Youth
January 2013
Voices of Native Youth Report
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CENTER FOR NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH
The Center for Native American Youth, created by former US Senator Byron Dorgan, is
dedicated to improving the health, safety and overall well-being of Native American youth
through communication, policy development and advocacy. The Center is a policy program
within the Aspen Institute, headquartered in Washington DC and overseen in part by a distinct
board of advisors.
Board of Advisors:
Byron Dorgan, Chairman
Dave Anderson
Allison Binney
Tom Brokaw
Lucy Calautti
Tom Daschle
Jacoby Ellsbury
Megan Gregory
Pam Gulleson
Phil Jackson
Dana Lee Jetty
Hattie Kauffman
Jefferson Keel
Coloradas Mangas
Sam McCracken
Lisa Murkowski
Gordon Smith
Ernie Stevens, Jr.
Patty Talahongva
W. Richard West
Dirk Whitebreast
As a policy program at the Aspen Institute in Washington DC, the Center for Native American
Youth is uniquely positioned to provide leadership in convening stakeholders, identifying
priorities, and communicating coordinated strategies at the national level to improve the lives of
Native youth across the country. The Center’s board and team commend the advocacy work of
tribal leaders and national Indian organizations for improving the social and physical well-being
of Indian Country. Developing and maintaining meaningful partnerships with tribal leaders and
national organizations is critical to the Center’s success and impact.
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INTRODUCTION
Today, there are 566 federally recognized Indian tribes, which operate as sovereign nations
under the United States Constitution. Each tribe is distinct, with its own culture, traditions,
language and community. The federal government has legal, treaty, and trust obligations to
provide individuals from federally recognized tribes with health care, education, law
enforcement, and other services. However, many of the federal systems in place to fulfill these
responsibilities are chronically underfunded, leaving much of Indian Country with limited access
to health care, education, and law enforcement services. The needs in these areas also extend to
urban Indian and other tribal communities.
Native American youth are the most at-risk population in the United States and face serious
disparities in a number of areas. These young Americans often live in communities that have
long suffered from high rates of poverty and unemployment, health disparities and substance
abuse, domestic violence and child abuse, and crime that includes increase youth gang activity.
The shockingly high rate of suicide amongst Native American youth reflects the impact of these
combined burdens - Native American youth have the highest rate of suicide of any group in
the United States – reaching 3.5 times the national average in recent years. The Center for
Native American Youth seeks to reverse the impact of historic neglect by raising awareness,
bringing forth a dialogue on solutions, and highlighting success.
Listening to Native youth, collecting their
ideas and concerns, is vital to the Center for
Native American Youth’s mission and work.
The Center’s staff moderates one to two hour
conversations with small groups of youth to
identify priorities, ask questions about the
challenges and successes facing young people
and discuss role models, after school
activities, and resources that are working and
making a difference for young people.
As a part of the conversations, the Center’s team also provides a “resource packet” to share with
youth, school administrators, and the community. These resource packets include a tailored list
of local tribal organizations, internships, scholarships, technical assistance support, and
information about national Indian organizations and federal agencies. After each event, the
Center follows up with a written report summarizing conversations with youth, as well as an
updated listing of resources that are available to address the specific needs recognized by young
people. These meetings are a first-step in developing a meaningful relationship, which inform the
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Center’s greater efforts and allow the organization’s team to serve as a resource to tribal
communities, on-the-ground direct services and most importantly, youth.
PURPOSE OF VOL. 2 REPORT
The purpose of the Voices of Native Youth Report is to summarize and share what the Center
has learned during youth roundtables in tribal and urban Indian communities. The purpose of
inviting youth to the table for dialogue is to guide the Center’s efforts and make sure that their
voices are present at the national level. This report is part of an annual effort to provide current
feedback from young Native youth regarding challenges and successes in Indian Country.
The Voices of Native Youth Report Volume 2 highlights:
o Key discussion themes from youth roundtables throughout 2012;
o Native youth perspectives on education, suicide prevention, bullying, culture/community,
child welfare, racial equity and extracurricular activities;
o Recommendations developed by young Natives that address decision-makers like tribal
leaders, federal agencies, policy-makers; and
o Shared resources between the Center, Native youth and/or tribal and urban Indian
communities to address the challenges and/or ideas expressed by young Native
Americans.
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SUMMARY: EMERGING THEMES FROM NATIVE YOUTH
Since the organization issued the Voices of Native Youth Report Volume 1, the Center for
Native American Youth has held additional roundtable discussions with youth in New Mexico,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, Florida, California, and Washington, DC – bringing the total youth
roundtables to 50 in 12 states with youth representing over 150 tribes.
The following is a list of the themes and highlights that emerged from the Center’s 2012
roundtable discussions with Native American youth:
Education
In order to become strong candidates for their college application, students want more
advanced placement courses.
Youth want to be successful in school and need more encouragement from peers and
family to thrive.
Bullying & Suicide Prevention
Native youth know bullying is a problem in their schools and want resources to address
the issue.
Many youth and communities identify suicide prevention as a common priority for their
young people and express a desire to address the sensitive subject delicately and
maturely.
Connecting to Culture & Community
Youth have expressed that culture is a catalyst for overcoming challenges and deterring
from risky behavior found in their communities.
Native youth have shared the need and interest in revitalizing tribal culture and traditions,
which they see as a strong driving force for hope across Indian Country.
Extracurricular Activities
Youth want more after school programs to combat the negative alterative influences they
face in their community.
Racial Equity & Healing
Native youth experience racism in their schools and communities, especially urban Indian
youth. Youth recommend more efforts to bridge racial stereotypes.
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LISTENING TO NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH
The Center remains committed to learning from and listening to Native youth and tribal
community perspectives. The valuable insight of Native youth should direct our focus of work as
well as be shared with policy-makers, federal agencies, tribal organizations, and new
stakeholders. Themes and key issues shared by Native youth in 2012 are described in detail in
this section.
EDUCATION
For many students planning to pursue higher education, achieving educational success is a
concern and students have a number of ideas for attaining their educational goals. Many students
expressed they want more advanced courses in high school and encouragement to stay in the
classroom and continue their education.
Students told us they understand the lack of access to advanced courses in high school can serve
as an obstacle for preparing a competitive application for post-secondary education. In addition
to helping with college applications, Native high school students tell the Center they truly want
to be challenged in the classroom with these advanced placement classes. Youth roundtable
participants from smaller tribal communities expressed a desire to travel and experience life
outside of Indian Country. Students went on to share they believe education serves as a vehicle
to explore the world beyond their communities by furthering their education or experiences.
Youth often state their chief goal as being successful in school and see graduating from college
as a standard mark of success. Although education is noted as a priority across many tribal
communities, discussions with parents, school
administrations, and staff revealed truancy problems in
multiple communities and reports illustrated that some
students come to school as little as two days out of the
week. During conversations with youth about
education, many students from various communities
expressed that they feel a lack of motivation to succeed
and that Native youth need more encouragement from
their families to stay in school. When the Center asked
students about what keeps them motivated and in school, aside from family encouragement,
many youth told us socializing with their friends and creating that support network.
“I do not see anything in
my way when it comes
to achieving educational
success.” - California
Native youth roundtable
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For many, the lack of financial resources is often a huge
barrier to attaining higher education; however, the Center
learned from students that for some tribes who have seen
economic success, there is remains a lack of motivation
due to the financial security provided to Native youth by
the tribe. In these situations, community members and
tribal leaders have told the Center it can be difficult for
their young people to understand the importance of
pursuing higher education not only for the experience,
travel or success, but also for the well-being of the tribe as
a whole. When discussing this unique issue with Native
youth, students told the Center they would recommend
their tribal leaders develop stronger policies that
encourage all tribal members to pursue a higher education
before releasing funds to tribal citizens. Ultimately,
students recognize and appreciate any educational and
financial support provided by their tribal nation, and
students tell us they are grateful for the educational opportunities and ongoing encouragement
from their tribal leaders to continue their education for the benefit of their nation.
Many environmental factors, including access to resources and encouragement from support
networks, have a strong influence on positive academic performance amongst Native American
youth.
BULLYING IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
Bullying is an issue and a youth priority raised in nearly all – from rural to urban – Indian
communities the Center visited in 2012. Youth are concerned with bullying because it not only
happens face-to-face at school, but students shared examples of bullying online – “cyber-
bullying.” Students reported cyber-bullying taking place on social media websites like Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram. Students also shared that group bullying and aggressive/hurtful text
messages are culprits of harassment and victimization amongst peers.
When the Center asked why bullying continues to be a serious issues among their peers, students
made the connection between self-esteem, domestic violence and bullying. A student told us that
domestic violence is common within the homes in their community and she believes her peers
are deeply affected. She went on to say domestic violence leaves youth with feelings of low self-
esteem and they end up mimicking the bullying they see in their homes. A solution to bullying
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that many students shared with the Center is avoiding social media outlets and finding the “right
crowd” to befriend.
In terms of community environments, youth and
program staff from one roundtable conversation
told the Center that some elementary students
attend their classes in rooms without windows
and have limited access to recess or outdoor time.
Youth went on to tell the Center they would like
to see the school facilities and environment
improved. Another concern raised by students in
various communities is the vandalism found on
structures and playgrounds. During one
roundtable, the Center asked students if they
played on the slides and playgrounds, students said they do not use the playgrounds because of
profanity on the plastic and that adults hang out at the playgrounds to drink and vandalize the
equipment at night. Students tell the Center they would be more inclined to use the playgrounds
and other community facilities if more security was available to prevent vandalism and substance
abuse.
Many students have shared with the Center that they want to see more security or police
patrolling in their tribal and urban Indian communities. Youth, program staff, and tribal
leadership state they would like juvenile justice cases addressed in a prevention-oriented and
innovative manner as opposed to sending youth to facilities hours away from home or out of
state. Community leaders have stated they believe Native youth will benefit from a juvenile
justice system that encourages a traditional, holistic approach, which reintroduces these young
people back into the community with a support system in place.
CONNECTING TO CULTURE & RACIAL HEALING
When visiting Native students across Indian Country,
the Center came across a common connection - the
desire to connect with traditional culture, language,
and customs. During a roundtable in Florida, one student
told the Center that compared to their peers, “I want to be
different.” The student went on to say they turned to their
tribal culture to steer them away from trouble. Other
students chimed in and said they understand that it is a
choice to walk down a positive or negative path, and they
Voices of Native Youth Report
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want to make the right choice not just for their own sake but also for the future of their tribe.
The preservation of Native language is another aspect that resonates with youth in both tribal and
urban Indian communities. Native youth expressed the need and desire to learn their respective
Native language, which they believe plays an important role in understanding and participating
in their traditions, culture, and tribal customs. During all roundtable conversations, Native youth
expressed a strong sense of pride about their cultural identity and in many communities, told us
they want to see more cultural activities and events on weekends and after school.
In many communities, youth highlighted traditional
dances and games as another way to reconnect with their
culture. Youth roundtable participants who are engaged in
traditional dance groups told the Center they view the
dances as a positive outlet for young people in their tribal
community. Students expressed immense pride in their
dancing and underscored the bond created between all
those who participate in a traditional dance groups.
When students speak about connecting with their
communities, they are very proud of the service and work that they accomplish during their
participation in youth councils or programs. Many youth are interested in creating opportunities to
get involved in giving back to local communities and/or other tribes. In some roundtables, students
expressed the desire to participate in international efforts and philanthropic giving. Ultimately,
Native youth communicate to the Center’s staff they want to be involved in creating solutions to
racial healing and opportunities facing their local communities.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Students highlighted that the lack of extracurricular activities as a main contributing factor to the
high rates of drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, and gang activity found in many tribal and
urban Indian communities. In addition to risky behaviorial outcomes, many students also tell the
Center they feel like they do not have a safe place to stay or visit after school. Some students
identified that the youth centers in their communities are geared towards younger children and
feel at a loss because there are no activites for teenage youth.
Drugs and alcohol abuse amongst Native youth is a common theme heard across various age
groups and communities. When asked why the issue exists, students tell the Center it is because
“there is nothing to do!” They also describe how easy it is to obtain drugs and alcohol in their
communities. Students as young as third grade volunteered stories about where youth in the
community go to do drugs and engage in gang activity. A group of youth told the Center the best
“We have so much fun
playing traditional games.
I wish they would last
longer because we all
have so much fun!” -
Oklahoma Native Youth
roundtable
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way to steer away from substance abuse and other risky behaviour is finding good groups of
friends, connecting with role models (“like an older sibling”), or being involved in sports or
other activities in the community.
Along with drugs and alcohol abuse, the Center has been
hearing about the high volume of gang activity in many of
the communities. Youth reported finding out about gangs at
ages as young as six and eight years old. In some
communities, students share that gangs are one of the top
issues facing students and they proceed to tell us that
students as young as grade school get involved in these
gangs. The high rates of gang involvement among Native
youth could correlate with the lack of engaging youth
activities available in tribal or urban Indian communities.
It is a reoccurring theme that Native youth need healthy outlets in order to abstain from
unhealthy activities. Many students are motivated to find resources and communicate their needs
with school administrations and communities so they can create safe places and alternative
activities for their peers.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
When discussing serious issues and Native youth priorities, it is common for youth to highlight
suicide and the need for more prevention activities. During one youth roundtable, a student told
the Center that the majority of families in her community have experienced a loss by suicide.
From these honest conversations, it is clear students are aware of the issue of suicide in the
community and see this as a major issue facing Native youth and families. Further, Native
students demonstrated the willingness and urgency to create and utilize resources to combat the
epidemic and help save the lives of their peers. The Center continues to hear that students and
teachers want to access suicide prevention trainings so they are equipped with the skill set to
identify warning signs and help an individual
connect to additional first aid response resources.
During one youth roundtable discussion, the Center
highlighted one of the local Native youth resources
that community leaders described in a previous
meeting. The Center asked the students if they utilize
any of these youth services and the youth told us
they had never heard about the programs in the
“I had to step out of the
picture and look at it to
decide gang
participation was not for
me.” - Florida Native
youth roundtable
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community. It is important to highlight the potential disconnect between resources and Native
youth because when offering youth-related tools, it is vital to create effective strategies to
appropriately communicate the availability of services and resources; however, the Center has
also heard access to resource success stories from youth. When asked about the availability of
suicide prevention trainings during a youth roundtable, the students immediately identified the
local suicide prevention program and told us they enjoyed training activities because of the
positive impact on their personal lives and well as their peers and tribe.
Although youth have expressed feeling sad during suicide prevention programming and
curriculum, many Native youth also talk about wanting to be part of the solution to combat the
suicide epidemic. Collectively, students say suicide can be an uncomfortable issue but want it
addressed in a delicate manner. It is clear that suicide prevention is a priority for Native youth
and they tell us it is important for adults to work with young people to find appropriate methods
that teach them how to discuss, prevent and combat this sensitive issue.
RACISM AND RACIAL EQUITY
Young people, especially those in urban Indian communities, have also expressed they often feel
a target of racism at school because of being Native American. They encounter non-Native peers
within their schools and communities who negatively stereotype them because of their race. The
youth feel there is a lack of education about Native American history, culture and general
awareness of cultural diversity in their schools. Students say they want help in educating their
peers about Native American cultures and traditions to help address and demystify any
stereotypes made against tribal youth.
In communities where tribal dividends are given to tribal
members, youth told the Center they feel targeted
pressure from non-Native peers to purchase drugs and
alcohol because other youth stereotype them as being
from a wealthy tribe. These youth roundtable
participants expressed they need support and assistance
from school administrators in order to create a
comfortable space and platform for peer-to-peer
education. It is clear that stereotypes and racism is a top concern and challenge faced by many
Native youth from diverse tribal and urban Indian communities.
“I hate being
stereotyped at school
because of the color of
my skin and the wealth
of my tribe.” - California
Native youth roundtable
Voices of Native Youth Report
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RECOMMENDATIONS FROM NATIVE YOUTH
In addition to the general youth roundtable
conversations in Indian Country, the Center for
Native American Youth collaborated with the
National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and Healthy
Native Communities Partnership (HNCP) for the
second annual Native Youth Track in Denver,
Colorado. During this Track, the Center facilitated a
Rez Café/roundtable session to create a dialogue
about health and wellness from the Native youth
perspective, as well as to share ideas about possible solutions to priority areas.
During the three-day event, thirty-five American Indian and Alaska Native youth worked
together to create twelve digital stories to share their thoughts on suicide prevention, bullying,
the differences between urban Indians and non-urban Indians, diabetes, and other topics. These
short stories were shared with over 700 tribal leaders who attended the National Indian Health
Board’s Annual Consumer Conference in Denver, Colorado. In addition to digital storytelling
and the Rez Café/roundtable conversation, youth participants created recommendations (listed
below) to share with policy makers and the President of the United States.
AI/AN Youth Recommendation Statements:
“TO MAKE A POSITIVE CHANGE IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN INDIAN COUNTRY,
AI/AN YOUTH RECOMMEND THAT YOU…”
Use funding for better health care and education for tribes. Native Americans have treaties that address
these issues and we recommend honoring those treaties. Native Americans have been disrespected and
mistreated. We want to be respected.
We need you to stop the sale of alcohol on and near tribal reservations.
We need better medical care and need the right to budget our own monies as we see fit.
Urban Environments need Indian Health Services facilities.
We need access to healthy and fresh foods.
We need help with creating greenhouses/community gardens, and fitness centers.
We recommend respecting our culture and traditions when addressing our needs. Do not forget about us.
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We recommend that you encourage traditional healing along with modern methods of healing.
We recommend that you create more health care options and health care providers to help middle and
lower classes.
Native youth recommend that you visit tribal areas, tribal members and Native youth to better understand
our challenges and successes.
Listen and learn more about American Indian and Alaska Native history.
To make a positive change in health and wellness in Indian Country, Native American youth recommend
that you help with funds for better housing, upgrade the Indian Health Services (IHS), educational
funding, youth centers, and tribal economic growth.
SHARED RESOURCES
During the Center’s travels and visits to tribal or urban Indian communities, the Center invites
youth, tribal leaders, programs to use the Center as a resource for identifying opportunities that
will positively impact young people in Indian Country. Following roundtable conversations, the
Center provides a short report to the community, respectfully summarizing the conversations
with youth. In addition to the reports, the Center also provides ideas for resources to help address
the specific challenges Native youth face in their respective communities. Below is a list of
example resources highlighted within roundtable reports for Native youth and Indian
communities.
BULLYING RESOURCES:
THRIVE (Tribal Health Reaching out InVolves Everyone) is a project funded through the
Indian Health Service that has created and made available new bullying resources for tribes and
youth. The free resources (posters and fact sheets) are available for download to promote
positive messages that help build an awareness campaign against bullying and cyber bullying, as
well as preventing suicide. Sharing these resources with student councils, schools, youth groups
and wellness centers could help spread the word about standing up against bullying. THRIVE is
based out of based out of Portland, Oregon.
The Center also shares successful examples of students and schools creating their own unique
“positive message” through mediums such as Public Service Announcements (PSA) - which
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allows youth to use their creativity to stand up against bullying and share a strong and positive
message with their friends. A few examples of Native youth PSA’s against bullying include:
“Stand Up Against Bullying in Indian Country,” by Indian Health Board of Nevada
Youth Advisory Council and National Museum of American Indian in Washington, DC;
“I Got Culture PSA,” by NativeSTAND Youth Conference in Chehalis, WA in Summer
2009; and
“More than that…,” by Todd County High School students from Rosebud Sioux
Reservation.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL PREVENTION RESOURCES:
The Indian Health Service’s Behavioral Health Department collaborated with the Northwest
Portland Area Indian Health Board to release a new media campaign, “I strengthen my
Nation” to help Native youth resist drugs and alcohol. The campaign empowers Native youth to
resist drugs and alcohol and motivates parents to talk openly to their children about this issue.
Visit http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/Behavioral/ to find fact sheets, brochures, posters
featuring Twilight actor Chaske Spencer.
We R Native out of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board is a comprehensive health
and wellness resource website made for and by Native American Youth. The website offers
health resources substance abuse, including helping a friend with a drinking problem,
information about self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, and other videos or blogs about how to
handle issues surrounding drug and alcohol with Native youth peers. More information is
available at http://www.wernative.org/TopicDetails.aspx?Id=17&type=PhysicalHealth
GANG PREVENTION RESOURCES:
Juvenile Justice Resource: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Tribal
Youth Program (TYP) within the Department of Justice is a great resource for the tribe in
addressing delinquency control and prevention efforts to improve the juvenile justice system for
Native youth. The TYP website has helpful information including grants and funding, research
and evaluation efforts, training and technical assistance and other resources. The Center could be
helpful in connecting the tribe with contacts at the TYP is further assistance is requested.
http://www.ojjdp.gov/typ/overview.html
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HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES:
During roundtable conversations the Center shares information about our one-stop shop resource
center created to help Native youth access and navigate the many resources and tools available to
make higher education a reality. In addition to locating funding sources for college, students will
also find a comprehensive list of youth organizations, internships and fellowships for resume
building, and Tribal Colleges & Universities and Native studies programs. We invite students to
visit the Center’s “For Youth” resource page to learn more: http://cnay.org/ForYouth.html
Examples of programs geared toward Native youth and higher education include:
The American Indian Summer Institute in Computer Sciences is a free, two-week summer
program for students to develop interactive story projects that combine computer game
technology with traditional American Indian culture.
The LEAD Summer Business Institute is a 3 week college prep program for Native American
high school juniors and is located at Stanford University, Duke University, Dartmouth College,
and the University of Pennsylvania.
The American Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a society that works to increase
American Indian and Alaska Native representation in science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) fields. Program for students, professionals, mentors and leaders are available. More
information can be found at: www.aises.org
OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAVEL:
It is never too early to start thinking about college. The Turkish Coalition of America offers
scholarships to eligible undergraduate and graduate Native American students who are interested
in studying abroad in Turkey. You can read more about this exciting program at http://www.tc-
america.org/scholarship/scholar_minority.html.
College Horizons is a pre-college summer program for Native American high school juniors and
seniors. Participating colleges and universities include Columbia University, Fort Lewis College,
Duke University, University of Notre Dame and more. A full list of schools and program
information is available at the College Horizon’s website: http://www.collegehorizons.org/.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY RESOURCES:
There are many organizations, councils and summer program opportunities available to Native
American youth. Please visit the Center’s resource page (http://cnay.org/ForYouth.html) for a
Voices of Native Youth Report
16
full list of programs and councils available for Native youth. We also encourage students to sign
up for the weekly Native Youth Listserv emails, which share information about scholarships,
internships, and other exciting opportunities for young people in Indian Country. Examples of
extracurricular activity resources include:
United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) is an organization dedicated to encouraging
young people to use their combined talents and energy to address major concerns facing Native
youth today. Youth are able to design and promote their own programs to fit youth needs-
including councils that serve as an after school extracurricular activity. Comprehensive youth
council descriptions and resources are available at www.unityinc.org.
The Center for Native American Youth recently announced the launch of Champions for
Change, a spin-off of a White House initiative, designed to recognize and encourage Native
youth who are creating positive change in their tribal or urban Indian communities. The
application is now available and five finalists will be selected to be recognized at a 2013 spring
event AND youth will be invited to serve a two-year term on the Center’s new Youth Advisory
Council. Read more about the program at http://cnay.org/Champions_for_Change.html.
TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION RESOURCES:
The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) and the Family and Youth
Services Bureau (FYSB) created a webinar entitled “Selecting Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Programs for Native American Youth.” This helpful webinar is available on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibFu7UKrC_s FYSB provides more information about how
tribal communities are benefiting from adolescent pregnancy prevention programs. More
information from this bureau is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/success-
story/native-teen-pregnancy-launch.
SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES:
Suicide prevention efforts can be as diverse as the 566 federally-recognized tribes in Indian
Country. Prevention can be identified as trainings, programs, curriculums as well as other
community efforts. At the Center we are continuing to identify impactful “suicide prevention”
initiatives and in our first year we have created an ever-evolving one-stop shop resource center
for youth and tribes to share these types of resources. Please visit www.cnay.org for a full
comprehensive list and contact the Center if the community needs help connecting with any one
resource. Examples of specific suicide prevention resources include:
Voices of Native Youth Report
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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free, 24-hour hotline, dialed at 1-800-273-
TALK (8255).
SafeTALK, about three hours in duration, is a training that prepares anyone over the age
of 15 to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid
resources.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center created an American Indian/Alaska Native
page, with a newsletter called the Weekly Spark, which offers Suicide Prevention Online
Training.
The National Indian Child Welfare Association created a youth suicide prevention toolkit
for tribal child welfare program entitled, “Ensuring the Seventh Generation.” The
toolkit includes cultural approaches to prevention and community healing.
CENTER HIGHLIGHT PROGRAMS:
In addition to increasing access to opportunity by creating a one-stop shop resource center, the
Center is also continuing to identify and shine a spotlight on successful Native youth initiatives -
Center Highlight Programs. Throughout the year, the Center highlights an impactful Native
youth initiative or program to continue our efforts to raise awareness to successful programming
in Indian Country. The Center also connects Highlight Programs with one another to help create
a network of impactful youth initiatives to foster support, ideas, and meaningful connections.
Please see the full list of Highlight Programs below:
The Indian Health Care Resource Center (IHCRC) of Tulsa Youth Program offers a
variety of activities and programming to improve the health and enrich the culture of
Indian children in the community. Such efforts include Native Cultural Summer Camps
to explore local tribal cultures; the Fit Kids Healthy Futures camps to focus on physical
activity, nutrition, and diabetes prevention; and an after school program to help with
homework, physical activities, and gardening.
The BEAR (Be Excited About Reading) Project is a literacy outreach program for
youth and families on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The BEAR Project’s
mission is to empower the youth, families and other community members from all walks
of life to make positive choices and improve the lives of Indian people.
Voices of Native Youth Report
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Sunka Wakan Ah Ku Program - Bringing Back the Horses in Dakota Language is a
program grounded in Dakota culture and history, and is located in eastern North Dakota
on the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation. The program’s main objective is to offer tools for
juvenile offenders to reduce delinquency and the likelihood of repeat offenders.
The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, located on the Zuni Pueblo in New
Mexico, mission is to promote the development of healthy lifestyles and self-esteem
among Zuni youth by providing the opportunity to engage in enriching, educational, and
challenging programs designed for ongoing, positive youth development.
Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP) serves more than 370 member families on the
Cheyenne River Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. CRYP tailors its grassroots
initiatives to the specific needs of the Cheyenne River community by offering not only
after-school activities, but also family programs to help foster healthy choices and
lifestyles.
InterTribal Sports (ITS) is a non-profit consortium of 19 tribes and tribal organizations
based in southern California. ITS serves more than 1,000 Native youth through programs
that promote physical activity, cultural awareness, sportsmanship, self-esteem, education,
and delinquency prevention.
NVision is a national organization, based in Oklahoma, using the expressions of art,
culture, education and media as a tool to promote and foster Native youth leadership and
development.
CONCLUSION
The Voices of Native Youth Report Volume 2 summarizes the key themes, concerns, and ideas
generated from ongoing roundtable conversations with the Center for Native American Youth
and young Native Americans from across the nation. The purpose of the report is to help inform
Native youth and Indian Country advocates and other key stakeholders about the diverse
concerns, priorities, and ideas raised directly by young people in Indian Country.
Each roundtable and community site visit contributes to the Center’s national work and mission
– to improve the health, safety, and overall well-being of Native American youth. The Center
values and prioritizes listening to communities, engaging in consistent diplomatic efforts, and is
committed to maintaining meaningful partnerships with direct service programs, tribes, and their
children as an on-going effort to bring awareness to Native youth.
Voices of Native Youth Report
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If you have a comment, question, or want to learn more about the Center’s travels and upcoming
initiatives, please contact us at the information provided below.
Center for Native American Youth
One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 700
Washington, DC 20026
Phone: (202) 736-2905
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cnay.org
Facebook: Center for Native American Youth
Twitter: Center4Native
